Chapter 6:

Vegetables
Preservation
 The best food preservation methods for fresh vegetables depends on their
degree of ripeness. To preserve the best quality vegetables, it helps to
understand the difference between maturity and ripeness. Maturity means
the produce will ripen and become ready to eat after you pick it. Ripeness
occurs when the color, flavor, and texture is fully developed. Once it is fully
ripe, fresh produce begins the inevitable and declining spoilage process.
Here’s a guideline:
• Mature, Mature, slightly underripe produce is optimal for canning and
pickling.
• Ripe produce is best for fresh eating, drying, and freezing.
• Overripe produce is suitable for cooking and freezing; cook vegetables into
soup or stew.
• Moldy or decaying produce belongs in the composter or worm bin!
To prepare fresh vegetables for preserving, always wash in plenty of running water,
remove non-edible parts such as stems and seeds, peel or trim as desired, and cut
into slices or cubes. Here are several vegetable preserving methods, from the easiest
(and least expensive) to the most complicated.

Refrigerator pickles are the simplest way you can preserve fresh vegetables and
extend their shelf life for a few days. Think of them as a type of salad, or simply
crunchy, mouthwatering fast food. These easy refrigerator pickle recipes use several
types of vegetables and even some fruits.

Salting is an old-fashioned method for preserving vegetables like salted cauliflower,

promoted in the early twentieth century. It is considered superior in taste and
texture. Stored in a refrigerator or cold cellar, excess salt removed by soaking in
cold water. Salted vegetables can be prepared and served as fresh, cold, simmered, or
hot side dishes.
Fermenting with salt uses low salt concentraition to promote fermentation.
Sauerkraut and kimchi are perhaps the most well-known examples. But the
technique can be applied to almost any vegetable. This recipe for sour turnips is
well known in eastern Europe as kisla repa or sauer ruben.

Drying vegetables is easy to do in your conventional gas or electric oven. Electric

food dehydrator appliances offer more control than your oven. You can purchase a
basic model for as little as $50. One of the best ways to use dried vegetables is this
versatile recipe for bean and pasta soup.

Freezing vegetables for long-term storage requires proper packaging and a deep
freeze appliance. Refrigerator freezer compartments are not suitable for true
freezing. Use refrigerator-freezers like checking accounts for short-term storage,
and regularly clean out freezers for effective preservation.
Canning involves investing in equipment and skills, choosing the right method,
taking precautions, and processing canned foods correctly. There are two methods:
boiling water-bath (BWB) and steam-pressure canning. High-acid foods like fruits
and vegetables can be canned using recipes with vinegar, while low-acid vegetables
can be canned using vinegar-based recipes.

Pressure canning low-acid foods like vegetables requires a pressure canner at 240°F
to destroy heat-resistant organisms, preventing food poisoning. To make safe
canned foods like soups and spaghetti sauce, use tested recipes and process them
correctly. Free canning recipes can be found online or downloaded from the USDA
Complete Guide to Home Canning.
Example of Vegetables Preservation

• Bamboo shoots
• Egg
• Papaya
Eggs
Bamboo shoots
Papaya
Vegetables preservation, any of a number of methods by which food is kept
from spoilage after harvest or slaughter. Such practices date to prehistoric
times. Among the oldest methods of preservation are drying, refrigeration,
and fermentation. Modern methods include canning, pasteurization,
freezing, irradiation, and the addition of chemicals. Advances in packaging
materials have played an important role in moder Vegetables preservation.